Faith and Safety
by periferal
Summary: Post ST: Beyond. Ben/Hikaru, being cute, mentions of Demora. Ben and Hikaru talk about the future after Hikaru returns home.


Ben wants to cry from relief when Hikaru comes rushing into their apartment on the Fifth Curvature. "We made it," his husband whispers, "Kirk saved us, like he always does. He saved _you_."

Their daughter, little Demora, is asleep, the panic and confusion of the evacuation having exhausted her. It has been an incredibly long few days, for both of them, and even though she had insisted that she "wanted to stay up for Pa, okay?" she had eventually fallen dead asleep on the couch curled around the stuffed tribble toy Hikaru had gotten her for her second birthday. Ben had brought her back to her room, tucking her in and shushing her half mumbled sleepy protests with the promise that Papa would not be going off to work at all tomorrow. He intends to hold Hikaru to that promise.

Ben has been waiting up, trying to outwit the anxiety that insists that his husband is not going to return to him. So to hear Hikaru speak is more than a relief, and he stands so he can kiss his idiot husband on the mouth with a little more force than is probably necessary. "You're okay," he eventually whispers into his shoulder, once the kiss has been broken and Hikaru has tangled their fingers together.

"Yeah."

Hikaru almost collapses all of a sudden, and Ben catches him, sitting the two of them down on the couch. Hikaru is now stretched out just a little on the couch, leaning against Ben's shoulder and he is smiling tiredly. "Sorry," he finally says, "it's been a long mission."

"What _happened_ ," Ben asks, half in desperation. It's been a very long time since he's seen Hikaru in person, and suddenly he has to go again, barely a day after his return. Now he's back, and he's holding him to that promise he made Demora.

"It should just be the usual crazy." Hikaru mumbles this while turning so his face is pressed against Ben's chest. He is now stretched out on the entire length of the couch, and he's grabbed onto Ben's hand again. "Usual ancient aliens with a side of time travel. But," he adds, his voice even more muffled than usual, "you've never been the one threatened, not really."

"I was on Earth for Nero's attacks," Ben whispers gently, squeezing back as he feels Hikaru's grip tighten almost to the point of pain. "And I survived that, because you helped save me. You'll always help save me, me and our little girl."

"But what if I can't, some day?" Hikaru's voice is now so muffled that Ben has to strain to hear him. He can feel the other man's nose pressing against his solar plexus.

"That won't happen," Ben says confidently enough that he manages to mostly convince himself at the same time. "Not on Captain Kirk's crew."

This is a conversation they've had dozens of times, though only once before in person. And it's not as though Ben doesn't sometimes think about what it would be like if one day Hikaru doesn't come home, what would he tell Demora, or Hikaru's mothers, or any of the rest of their family? But he decided long ago that he would not be able to live with himself if he ever took the stars away from Hikaru, even though he knows that he would leave the Fleet in a heartbeat if Ben ever sincerely asked him too. In the end, that's why Ben could never ask him to not go wandering about the stars in the _Enterprise_ , or whatever ship Ben knows he will be the Captain of some day.

And he has met Captain Kirk, and he is a good man. A little rough, perhaps, and he knows the story of George Kirk as well as any other human, but he has done good, and will do good by his husband.

"You've always got so much faith," Hikaru says, and he twisted again so he can pull Ben down for another kiss. This one is gentle. It's also a little shorter in duration, because the angle absolutely kills the upper part of Ben's spine, but that's alright.

They separate, and Ben watches Hikaru look out the window at the twisting passages of _Yorktown_. "It's so beautiful," he whispers, "even though there are of course never any sunsets." It's artificial night, now, and the 'stars' in the inner artificial atmosphere bath the streets in a dim, almost natural-esque glow. And the real stars are visible now too, twinkling through the shielding. It's not as easy to see the other Curvatures, however, which is always just a little strange. The station, unlike a world, just stops instead of having a horizon, and it's taken just a little getting used to.

"Do you think you and Demora will stay on here to live?" Hikaru asks, "even despite the attack?"

"It's as safe as Earth has been, these past few years," Ben says, "to be quite honest. And it's so- there's so much of everything, and I want Demora to see that. A world that represents what the Federation means to me, to you especially. Maybe you'll come and visit here a little more often than earth, too." He means to say it as a joke, but it comes out quite sincere. He plants another kiss on Hikaru's mouth at that, ignoring for those seconds that really, the angle is terrible for his spine.

"That's what he wanted to destroy." Hikaru sits up at that, suddenly agitated. "He- he blamed the Federation, maybe understandably, but he wanted to take down innocents in his revenge. Innocents like you. How _could he_." There's anger on top of the exhaustion now, and a fierce protectiveness that Ben admits is a little bit hot.

"The man in the tower?" Ben asks, "what was he?"

"A Starship Captain," Hikaru says, "an a hundred year old Starship Captain."

It's maybe just the tiniest bit mean spirited but Ben has to laugh at that, at the absurdity of that. "Really?" he finally manages to gasp out, and Hikaru pokes him in mock outrage at the comment, anger and horror and residual terror thankfully dispelled for the moment, leaving other demons to be fought off on other days during this shore leave that the _Enterprise_ crew is definitely going to get. "Man, that's what, two ancient assholes trying to blow shit up out of petty revenge?"

This makes Hikaru laugh too, "Oh misery, you're right, this is fucking pattern." He leans his head against Ben. "It's really good to see you. Though I am a little worried about what Pasha might be getting up to in the big bad city."

"Kid's not so innocent as you might think," Ben says, grinning, and Hikaru rolls his eyes.

"Just 'cause he asked you for tips on picking up alien guys…" he grouses, but he is smiling. "You're right, he can take care of himself."

"Anyway," Ben says, glad he's gotten his husband smiling and laughing again, "you are cooking us breakfast tomorrow and not going anyway out of my sight for the full day. Captain Kirk's birthday party is in a few days," at Hikaru's startled look, he shrugs, "Dr. McCoy invited me too, as your long-suffering spouse, or whatever," Hikaru rolls his eyes again and Ben continues on, "so it's only fair that we get to hang out with our favorite Fleet officer for a day."

"Of course," Hikaru says, "and where is she?"

There's a tight worry suddenly back in his voice, and Ben squeezes Hikaru's fingers, realizing that they haven't actually let go of each other's hands for a while. That's nice, he hasn't been able to really touch his husband in a long time, what with him being shipside. "Asleep."

"I've missed you," Hikaru says, "c'mon, let's go to bed."

Ben grins, getting up from the couch. "After you," he says, and Hikaru laughs again. "It's so good to see you."

"You too. Though you're going to have to show me where our bedroom is, I haven't been in this apartment for very long."

Ben laughs again, hoping that all this noise hasn't woken Demora. "I'll help you… break it in, shall we say?"

Hikaru groans, but he hurries to follow Ben anyway. It really has been a long day.

(-)

 _AN: Wrote this just after seeing Star Trek: Beyond. Seriously though Ben and Hikaru are so adorable, and that movie was all around wonderful._


End file.
